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Chapter 692: Brave Assault on the Bronze Fortress
The fortress was forged from bronze smelted in the depths of Deep Hell. Its watchful walls bristled with jagged spines, demonic reliefs, and burning runes, shimmering with a sinister emerald glow beneath Avernus’s blood-red sky. The City Wall soared into the clouds, its summit crowned with hundreds of arrow towers, hellfire cannons, and prison watch cages for low-grade demons. Dozens of tiny demons and gargoyles flapped their wings through the air, clutching steel forks. Even the wall itself pulsed with a powerful anti-magic field—so potent that even a Legendary Mage would struggle to force their way in.
Beyond the wall flowed an impossibly wide river, its bed churning with molten lava. Sulfur-scented white smoke curled above the surface, warping the air like heat haze. The only way across the River of Lava was the drawbridges—narrow, precarious spans that served as the sole entry into the Bronze Fortress. Demons cursed and shoved one another along the bridges, and every so often, a wretched demon would stumble and plunge into the inferno below, letting out a shriek that echoed through the abyss before being swallowed by a violent splash of magma.
At the City Gate stood fully armored Chain Demons—hideous, towering figures whose iron chains clashed together with sharp, metallic clinks as they moved. One of them suddenly yanked a small demon from a wagon, hoisting him by the back of the neck with a snarl.
“Damn scum!” he roared. “Who gave you permission to enter? You think you can defy Lord Zaril’s orders? And you didn’t even pay the toll!”
The little demon trembled, but still forced a servile grin. “M-Master of the caravan paid a silver coin for me, sir!”
“Toll is based on kill credit,” the Chain Demon snapped.
The small demon wailed in desperation. “Please, sir! I’m broke—I’ve got nothing left! I lost everything at the Mordin Casino, my wealth, my status… I’m ruined!”
Hearing the demon was destitute, the Chain Demon’s expression turned even colder. “That’s no excuse!”
The little demon clung desperately to the demon’s thick arm. “Just give me three more days! I’ll gather ten silver coins—no, one hundred—I’ll bring them to you!”
The Chain Demon yanked his arm free, hoisting the trembling demon high above the molten river. “Ten coins? A weak, gambling-obsessed wretch like you? Do you actually think you can afford that?”
The little demon flapped his wings frantically. “No! Please don’t throw me in! I’ve got friends in the outer districts—I’m a local expert! They’ll lend me the money!”
The Chain Demon sneered, tightening his grip until the demon’s neck cracked. “You really think I’m that gullible? And who’d even believe a little runt like you? Who’d pay ten silver coins for someone like you? That’s laughable!”
“Exactly!” another demon jeered. “Just toss him in already!”
“Come on, let’s see how loud he screams when he hits the lava!”
The crowd on the drawbridge erupted in jeers, their voices dripping with malice, eager to see the small demon’s agonizing demise.
“Let him go. I’ll pay.”
A smooth, alluring voice cut through the chaos.
“Wait… someone’s actually paying for him? For a little demon?”
“Fool’s luck—next time he’ll be thrown straight into the magma.”
The demons turned, stunned, toward the source. There, stepping forward from the crowd, was a voluptuous woman with flawless beauty and piercing eyes that seemed to draw the soul. Behind her, two massive, obsidian-black wings unfurled—signs of a Desire Demon, a high-tier devil, a fallen celestial being.
To lower-tier demons like Chain Demons and Thorn Demons, a Desire Demon was an awe-inspiring, near-mythical figure.
Clink.
Ten silver coins landed at the Chain Demon’s feet with a crisp ring.
He immediately released the demon, scooped up the coins, and bowed with surprising politeness. “Desire Demon, this little wretch has a history of defiance and openly violated Lord Zaril’s orders. He’s not worth your intervention.”
The Desire Demon, however, didn’t even look up. She toyed with her slender fingers, then glanced down with cold disdain. “Do I need your guidance on what I choose to do?”
“Apologies, my lady,” the Chain Demon replied, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the ground—no trace of his earlier arrogance remained.
This was Hell. A place of rigid hierarchy. Every demon clung to their place in the order, where rank and status were absolute. High-tier devils lived in fear of falling, and their terror often manifested as cruelty toward those beneath them—those lower still, in turn, lashed out at the weakest, creating a chain of oppression that stretched down through the abyss.
Seeing her intervention, the little demon flapped his wings frantically, darting forward and dropping to his knees. “Thank you, my lady! You’ve saved me!”
The Chain Demon kept his head low. “Forgive me, Desire Demon. I didn’t know he was under your protection. But Lord Zaril’s orders are strict—anyone entering must be thoroughly vetted. I hope you understand.”
He looked up—and froze.
Behind the Desire Demon stood a towering Stone Giant, nearly four meters tall, gripping a cage of iron bars. Inside, two massive Vampire Bats flapped their wings in fury.
The Desire Demon’s expression darkened. “So I can’t bring a golem servant and a few pet bats into the city?”
“No, no!” the Chain Demon stammered. “Of course you may! It was only my overcautiousness. A high-profile devil like you? You’re clearly no invader.”
“Better,” she purred, tossing a few silver coins at the Chain Demon’s feet. Then, with a flick of her wings, she stepped through the gate—her entourage following.
The little demon trailed behind, flapping his wings with smug triumph, flashing a mocking grin at the Chain Demon and the jeering crowd. The demons seethed with rage, nearly tearing each other apart in their desire to devour him.
Inside the city, the streets teemed with hurrying denizens—mostly low-tier demons like small devils, thorn demons, and spine demons. Yet high-tier devils were present too, moving through the chaos with quiet authority. Thorn demons patrolled the skies, wings beating in rhythm, while armies of hedge demons and thorn demons marched through the streets, heading toward the Blood Battlefield portals.
On either side of the road stood taverns, shops, pawnshops, even brothels—reminiscent of mortal cities, but here, the only true currency was the spiritual soul of a mortal.
Yet even here, among the frenzy, the Desire Demon and her companions were not particularly conspicuous.
The little demon followed her into a dark alley, rubbing his hands together, his face a mask of fawning devotion. “Desire Demon, I’m Dick. Thank you for saving me from that brute!”
“From what I hear,” she said, “you know this district well?”
“Of course!” he boasted. “I’ve roamed the Outer Districts for years—every corner, every secret. Ask me anything, and I’ll tell you. But… if you could also help me clear my debts…”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she took another iron cage from the golem’s hands and smiled—a smile so beautiful it could freeze blood.
“Wait… what are you—?”
Dick’s voice cracked with dread. He flapped his wings, trying to flee—but the cage suddenly opened, emitting a powerful suction that pulled him inside.
Clang!
The door slammed shut. He gripped the bars, shaking them wildly, screaming for release—but the runes etched into the cage began to glow, and the iron bars turned red-hot, searing his flesh.
The Desire Demon crossed her arms, voice icy. “Stop struggling. This is a custom iron cage—designed specifically for devils. And as long as I maintain the rune array, you’ll be reduced to ash in under ten minutes.”
He collapsed to his knees, slapping his own face. “Please, lady! I surrender! I’m sorry—I was blinded by greed!”
She nodded in satisfaction, then paused the rune array. “Be careful. These little devils are the most cunning. Never let them go.”
The stone golem wiped a layer of patina off its bald head, sighing. “This is the Bronze Fortress… no wonder it’s a high-risk quest. I can feel so many powerful, unfamiliar presences.”
Inside the cage, one of the Vampire Bats shrieked. “Let me out! You filthy cross-dresser! Who the hell do you think you are?”
The Desire Demon’s face twisted in disgust. “You think I want to be like this? If it weren’t for me, you’d never have made it past the gate!”
“Hah! You’re the one with the obsession! Don’t pretend you don’t love it.”
“Don’t even start. You were the one nearly impaled by an old vampire. At least I’m just wearing a dress. You’re the one with the real kink.”
The bat’s face flushed with human-like rage.
The golem stepped forward, voice flat. “Enough. You’ll attract the patrols.”
The other Vampire Bat stared blankly at the sky, muttering. “Look… so many quests. Break the portal to August. Steal the hellfire cannon schematics. Kill Zaril’s loyalists. Oh wow—infiltrate Zaril’s palace? Reward: twenty-five thousand gold coins. Just thinking about it gives me chills.”
Dick stared, frozen in his cage, trembling uncontrollably. His mind reeled.
The golem? The bats? They were talking—too well. And this “Desire Demon”? Her behavior didn’t add up.
With a trembling claw, he pointed at her. “You… you’re not a real Desire Demon, are you?”
He remembered the edict from Lord Zaril: anyone caught aiding intruders would be tortured for two centuries in endless purgatory.
His voice shook. His wings stiffened with fear.
The figure—Lucky Emperor—tapped the cage with a cold grin. “Dick. Time to face reality. You’re already on our ship. Now hand over everything you know.”
“Yes… yes, my lady,” Dick whispered, face ashen. He’d thought he’d found salvation—but now he’d fallen into an even deeper pit. The greatest despair of all was realizing you’d traded one hell for another.
Lucky Emperor leaned forward. “Where is the portal to August?”
“Uh… probably the fourth ring?”
“Where are the hellfire cannon schematics?”
“Third ring, I think. That’s where Zaril trusts her most—her deep hell forgemaster and two hundred dragon demons are working nonstop to build it.”
“Where is General Alexis Reeves, her loyalist?”
“I saw it in a hellish briefing once… General Alexis lives in the second ring. A luxury mansion made of obsidian, filled with thousands of supplicants. Envious, isn’t it?”
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang glared into the cage. “You called yourself a local expert? Then why is all your information so vague?”
Dick’s voice cracked. “Please, sir, you’re misunderstanding! I’m just a low-tier demon kicked out of the twelfth ring. How would I know anything about the inner circles?”
Langli BaiTiao paused, then asked, “So… you know the twelfth ring well?”
Dick nodded frantically. “I know every inch.”
“Then—how do you get into the inner ring? I saw the passages are heavily guarded.”
“Yes, sir. Lord Zaril’s been planning something big. The fortress is on high alert. Everyone entering must pass a high-ring magical inspection—no infernal bat is allowed to fly through.”
He glanced nervously at the avatar of the Vampire Bat, then added, “Of course, I’m not talking about you, sir…”
Langli BaiTiao lifted his bat wings. “Enough. I’m asking—do you know of any smuggling route into the inner ring?”
Dick blinked. Then his eyes lit up. “Wait… actually… yes. There might be one.”
---
Twelfth Ring – Burning Heart Casino
The air was thick with flickering, eerie flame-light. The scent of sulfur, cigarettes, alcohol, and strange fuels wove together into a suffocating haze. The patrons were as varied as the souls they’d once been—corrupt nobles, greedy mortals, even demons who’d drowned in their own lust.
Some wore fine silks. Others were ragged. But all had the same fire in their eyes—the desperate hunger for victory, the terror of losing everything.
“I… I lost again!”
“No way!”
“HAHA! I won! Your eyes, your heart, your legs—now they’re mine!”
“Don’t get cocky! I’ll win back everything!”
“You’re already broke. What’s left to bet?”
“No… no, I still have one last chip… my spiritual soul. I’ll stake it!”
“Now that’s the spirit!”
“HAHA! Bankrupt! That’s the real thrill!”
Laughter, curses, cheers, and screams tore through the air—forming a brutal symphony of hell.
In a hidden room deep within the casino, a lavishly dressed demon lounged on a skin throne, idly turning a glass bottle that held a trapped human soul.
“Hmm,” he said, voice lazy. “Dick. What will you offer to pay your debt?”
He set the bottle down and turned, his eyes glinting with hunger. “Or… are you prepared to surrender your soul?”
Dick looked up, his wrinkled face stretching into a nervous smile. “Just… come see, sir. What I’m about to give you… it’ll surprise you.”
(End of Chapter)
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